Trump delights protesting supporters with motorcade drive-by
14 November 2020, 18:34
The US leader was making the journey to his Virginia golf club.
US president Donald Trump has delighted supporters gathered near the White House with a slow motorcade drive-by through Washington on the way to his Virginia golf club.
A week after the presidential race was called for his Democratic rival Joe Biden, hundreds of Trump loyalists have converged on the American capital to protest against the election results and falsely assert that the vote had been stolen.
Mr Trump persists with his claims and complaints even though a broad coalition of top government and industry officials has declared that the November 3 voting and the following count unfolded smoothly with no more than the usual minor hiccups.
Congress must now do a Covid Relief Bill. Needs Democrats support. Make it big and focused. Get it done!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 14, 2020
One official described the election as “the most secure in American history”.
The crowd cheered as Mr Trump’s limousine neared and people lined both sides of the street.
Some stood just a few feet away from Mr Trump’s vehicle; others showed their enthusiasm by running along with the caravan.
After a slow drive around Freedom Plaza, where the pro-Trump rallies began, the motorcade headed to the president’s club.
The “Million Maga March” was heavily promoted on social media, raising concerns that it could spark conflict with anti-Trump demonstrators, who have gathered near the White House in Black Lives Matter Plaza for weeks.
In preparation, police closed off sections of Washington, where many stores and offices have been boarded up since election day.
Chris Rodriguez, director of the city’s Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency, said the police were experienced at keeping the peace.
“People who come to the District know that you can’t bring weapons to our city and that violence will not be tolerated,” Mr Rodriguez said.
The issues that Trump’s campaign and its allies have pointed to are typical in every election: problems with signatures, secrecy envelopes and postal marks on mail-in ballots, as well as the potential for a small number of ballots being miscast or lost.
With Mr Biden leading Mr Trump by wide margins in key battleground states, none of those issues would have any impact on the outcome of the election.
Mr Trump’s campaign has also filed legal challenges complaining that their poll watchers were unable to scrutinise the voting process.
Many of those challenges have been dismissed by judges, some within hours of their filing.
